Coffee N’ Cree with Rellik and Dorothy Thunder
About Dorothy
Dorothy Thunder is a Plains Cree (nêhiyawiskwêw) from Little Pine First Nation, Saskatchewan and full-time Cree instructor in Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta.
She is a Language Keeper, educator, and an Aboriginal woman who practices the traditional way of life. Her passion for the Cree language began at the U of A, where she completed her BA in Native Studies in June 2002 and MSc in Linguistics in December 2015. She co-authored the book, Beginning of Print Culture in Athabasca Country, which won the Scholarly and Academic Book of the Year in June 2011. In March 2011, she received the Graduate Studies Teaching Award in recognition of excellence in the performance of teaching duties in the Faculty of Native Studies.
Being a fluent nêhiyawêwin speaker and instructor has inspired her to continue in developing resource materials and promoting nêhiyawêwin language programs. Her purpose is to assist in strengthening confidence and competence in Cree language skills by supporting educators and nehiyawewin language learners. As an advocator of nehiyawewin, she shares various methodologies to strengthen existing or new Indigenous programs. Her main focus is integrating nehiyaw language and literacy strategies from cultural perspectives of First Nations teachings and the inclusion of Aboriginal stories and teachings.
Todays theme – Takwākin ( Fall / Autumn season)
Segment 1
takwâkin – Fall time
Mikiskāw – Later in fall ( freeze up) –
Namōya – no, Mwāc – no
Leaf – nīpiy , nīpiya ( pl)
Pēyak nīpiy – one leaf
Nipiy – water
Mīhcet nīpiy(a) – many leaves (plural)
Nika itwān ( i would say ) nīpiy(a) pahkihtin(wa) (plural) – the leaves are falling
Takahki – Really good , great
Nitawāsisimak – my children
Yīkopīwan – frost
Mōnahaskwēwin – harvesting, digging
Kistikēwin – planting , farming
Āskaw – sometimes , from time to time
Pēyak niska – one goose
niska(k) (pl) – multiple geese – animate nouns
nisk(is) – smaller or younger
Nīpiyis ( small leaf)
Kotak aski – in other lands
Segment 2
Namoya – Cēskwa – not yet
Wīpac – soon
Kisināsin – it is getting a little cold (weather)
Very cold weather – kisināw or tahkāyāw
October (migrating month) – pimīhāwi pīsim
October (freezing month) – Kaskatinowi-pīsim
Niska – Goose , Nikak (pl)
Sīsīp – duck, sīsīpak (pl)
Pimihā – fly
Kimiwan – rain , it is raining
tahkipēstāw – freezing rain
Osāwipak -Pumpkin
Osāwaw – Orange
Mīhcet – alot , many numbers , in good quantity
Kwēyask – Correct
Tāpwē – It is true
Āhkosiw – he. She is sick
Ni(t)āhkosin – I am sick , ki(t)āhkosin, You are sick ( t ) joiner is added to separate vowels
Niya – 1st person (me)
Kiya – 2nd person (you)
Cimāsin (singular) Cimāsin(wa) – plural – it is short
Kīsikāw – day ,kīsikāw(a) – days plural
Cimāsinwa kīsikāwa – The days are getting shorter
Segment 3
Nīpya āhkwatinwa – the leaves are frozen
Nīpiyā miywāsinwa – the leaves are pretty
Miywāsin – it is good , it is beautiful
Atīht nīpiya mikwāwa – some leaves are red
Kwēyask itwān – you are saying it correct
Atīht osāwā – some are yellow
Atīht askihtakwāw(a)- some are green
Askihtakwāw – green, it is green
Askiy – earth
nama kīkway – nothing, none
ēkosi māka – thats it
kīhtwām kā wāpamitin – i will see you again
Mwēstas – later
ahpō ēkosi pita – see you in the meantime
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